Welcome to justthoughtsnstuff

I started posting to jtns on 20 February 2010 with just one word, 'Mosaic'. This seemed an appropriate introduction to a blog that would juxtapose fragments of memoir and life-writing. Since 1996, I'd been coming to terms with the consequences of emotional and economic abuse that had begun in childhood, and which, amongst other things, had sought to stifle self-expression. While I'd explored some aspects of my life through fiction and, to a lesser extent, journalism, it was only in 2010 that I felt confident enough to write openly about myself. I believed this was an important part of the healing process. Yet within weeks, the final scenes of my family's fifty-year nightmare started to play themselves out and the purpose of the blog became one of survival through writing. Although some posts are about my family's suffering - most explicitly, Life-Writing Talk, with Reference to Trust: A family story - the majority are about happier subjects (including, Bampton in rural west Oxfordshire, where I live, Oxford, where I work, the seasons and the countryside, walking and cycling) and I hope that these, together with their accompanying photos, are enjoyable and positive. Note: In February 2020, on jtns' tenth birthday, I stopped posting to this blog. It is now a contained work of life-writing about ten years of my life. Frank, 21 February 2020.

New blog: morethoughtsnstuff.com.

Saturday 12 January 2013

back to work, forecast of snow, coal fire, oxford 0th week, fresh eyes


















Gosh, a challenging week! A shock to the system, going back to work after the lovely long holiday! Still feeling the benefits, though. One of these has been an unexpected urge to tidy desks and put both my physical and virtual filing systems in order--something not felt for a few years. Colleagues will wonder what's happened!

Somewhat grey and lowering weather, nevertheless. Incredibly warm to begin with but now chilly--with the forecast of snow.

Loved the smell of a coal fire from one of the barges when I was walking along the Oxford canal the other day.

Oxford 0th Week--this past week--seemed earlier than usual. The online course I teach started last Monday and there has been a fair bit to do in respect of other creative writing courses too. All very rewarding, however--as suggested above, the long holiday has meant I've viewed the world of work with fresh eyes! Long may that last.
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1 comment:

  1. Margaret Keeping14 January 2013 at 11:13

    Good luck with the new orderly Frank - though you've always seem to get where you're going in life OK.
    I love those barges and the smoke rising from the chimney - once I took that daily walk to Hythe Bridge Street from Port Meadow for work and seeing your pictures vividly reminds me of that quite other life.

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